Melbourne Digital Engineering Symposium 2026

Pierre Marchadier has been Vice President in charge of Value Engagement, Industry Consultant since January 2017.

His main mission is to define and implement and lead the transformation of Dassault Systèmes technical teams around the world, involved in projects with key industry customers and Innovation Leaders.

He joined Dassault Systèmes in May 2009. Following two years as Vice President Aerospace & Defense, Pierre Marchadier was appointed to lead the Global Industry Development which is responsible for promoting exchanges between Dassault Systèmes and its partners and customers across 12 industries (Aerospace, Automotive, Business Services, Construction, Consumer Goods, Consumer Packaged Goods, Energy, High-Tech, Industrial Equipment, Life Sciences, and Shipbuilding). In January 2012, Pierre Marchadier was appointed head of Corporate Communications, Events, Industry Analysts Relations and Digital.

Then he became head of Organization and Operations Marketing WW.

Before joining Dassault Systèmes, Pierre Marchadier was Director of Technology Development and Innovation at Chanel Fragrances and Beauty for twelve years.

Prior to this position, Pierre was a member of the external affairs team at the French National Defense and Security department (SGDN) reporting to Prime Minister.

A qualified flight crew officer (Colonel), Pierre Marchadier began his career as Pilot (+3300hrs) and Engineer in complex systems of systems.

Pierre Marchadier holds a second engineering master degree in biochemistry as well as numerous aeronautical certificates and licenses.

Dr. Gan WANG spent almost three decades in the aerospace and defense industry where he started as a programmer and control systems engineer, and later turned into a systems engineer. His current areas of interest span MBSE, Digital Engineering (DE), systems engineering lifecycle processes, architecture, cost estimating and analysis, and decision support methods.

Dr. Quoc Do is a ONE KBR Technical Fellow, Principal Consultant at Frazer-Nash Consultancy, and Systems Engineering Director, Submarine Rotational Force West – Priority Works. He was the Technical Governance Manager of the Submarine Systems Engineering executive directorate within Naval Shipbuilding and Sustainment Group (NSSG). He is an expert in digital engineering, model-based systems engineering, defence architecture frameworks, governance, and assurance.

He is a Fellow (FIEAust) and Chartered Systems Engineer (CPEng) of Engineers Australia and is well respected within the defence and commercial sectors. He is also a nationally and internationally recognised systems engineering leader, qualified as a DSS (Defence Support Service) Level 5 Pre-eminent Consultant in three categories (Systems Engineering, Capability Definition Documentation, and Systems Architecture and Integration), and inducted by the International Council of Systems Engineering (INCOSE) Leadership Institute.

Dr. Do has made significant contributions to the systems engineering profession through various leadership roles, including current Asia-Oceania Sector Director of INCOSE, past president of the INCOSE Australia Chapter, past president of the Systems Engineering Society of Australia (SESA), former Associated Director for Technical Review of INCOSE, and founding Chair of the INCOSE international Model-Based Conceptual Design (MBCD) Working Group.

Braden McGrath is Professor of Practice - Digital Engineering at UNSW Canberra, where he leads the Mission Engineering and Digital Engineering curriculum development programs and is establishing the Digital Engineering Innovation Facility. He holds a PhD and is a Fellow of Engineers Australia.

He spent sixteen years with the US Navy as a helicopter flight-test engineer and research scientist, accumulating extensive flight hours in research on spatial disorientation and multisensory displays, work he continues today with the US Army Aeromedical Research Laboratory. He subsequently served as Chief Technology Officer and QinetiQ Fellow at QinetiQ Australia, and as founding Managing Director of MITRE Australia. He is co-founder of two Australian deep-technology companies and co-inventor of a patented vestibular assessment system.

Michael Ninness co-founded Kompozition in 2019 after identifying a critical gap in how complex systems are described: the absence of the human, and in Defence terms, the Warfighter or the Operator. Kompozition's Digital Mission Engineering (DME) platform addresses that gap, putting mission context at the centre of systems design and assurance.

Michael brings more than two decades of enterprise technology sales and delivery experience across industry and the Federal Government. He was previously a co-founder of xAmplify, a leading Australian systems integrator, where he helped grow the business to the point of securing a minority investment from Macquarie Private Capital, a milestone reflecting its strength and standing in the Defence and government markets.

Most recently, Michael and the Kompozition team announced the establishment of Kompozition USA, driven by growing interest from US academic institutions, Defence industry, and the Department of War.

Dr Dan Powell is a specialist in systems of systems engineering and integrationand the co-founder and chief scientist of Kompozition, an Australian company at the forefront of Digital Mission Engineering (DME).

His work focuses on addressing the "complexity gap" in large-scale projects by creating a digital fabric that connects mission requirements to architectures and technical execution, that they enable.

Before co-founding Kompozition, he served as a Principal Systems Engineer at Raytheon Australia. He has spent over two decades consulting on high-integrity systems for defence and government sectors.

Keith Paulson is MITRE’s Australia Digital Engineering Lead, with more than 20 years of experience across defence and commercial sectors in digital transformation, modelling and simulation, software development, and enterprise-scale technology delivery. His work spans Digital Engineering, Mission Engineering, Model-Based Systems Engineering, cybersecurity, and emerging AI-enabled approaches supporting complex mission and acquisition environments.

Before relocating to Australia, Keith supported U.S. Air Force and broader defence initiatives across multiple overseas operational theatres, including the Middle East and Indo-Pacific. His work included multinational operational exercises, mission-engineering activities, and software-enabled capability development. Combined with his experience in Australia and the United States, this gives him a practical perspective on connecting mission needs, engineering evidence, and system delivery.

Keith brings an independent, mission-focused perspective that prioritises outcomes, interoperability, and fit-for-purpose integration across tools, organisations, and industry partners. He holds a Master of Science in Software Engineering from the University of Colorado, degrees in Electrical Engineering and Computer Engineering from the University of Missouri, and is a Certified Information Systems Security Professional.

He lives in Canberra with his wife and two daughters. Outside work, he enjoys tennis, skiing, bad science fiction films, and spending time with his family.

David Akister is a Chartered Engineer and Fellow of Engineers Australia. He is a senior leader with more than 30 years of experience in leading complex, mission-critical and safety-related design engineering programs across the defence, aerospace and rail sectors.

David is currently the Chief Engineer of the Australian Defence Business of KBR. He provides technical governance, engineering assurance, and strategic leadership. He combines deep technical expertise with advanced Masters qualifications in Air Transport Management, Strategy and Innovation, and International Business Law. It enables him to successfully navigate technical, operational, and commercial challenges.

His career has focused on the delivery of technically demanding projects such as the Airbus A380 Escape systems; design of A400M Mission Management Systems and the Airbus A350 Modular architecture. He is keenly interested in the apparent dichotomy of assured-software, compliance and system safety with the imperative of innovation and change.

He is enthusiastic about the benefits that Digital Engineering can offer: in both enabling collaborative innovation partnerships and delivering Speed-to-Capability in execution.

Tommie Liddy is the Director and Principal Systems Engineer at Turen, where he focuses on building Systems Engineering (SE) and Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) capabilities within organisations. He achieves this by providing expert advice, developing engineering processes and practices, delivering training, and supporting the execution of SE on various projects.

With over fifteen years of experience in the development and application of MBSE techniques across a broad range of large and complex projects, Tommie has led both technical and project management efforts in the defence, space, and transport sectors. He has supported organisations such as Transport for NSW, BAE Systems, Lockheed Martin Australia, the Australian Missile Corporation, Shoal, and Consunet in defining and advancing their SE, MBSE, and Digital Engineering practices.

In addition to his industry work, Tommie lectures at the Adelaide University and remains active in the systems engineering community as an INCOSE Certified Systems Engineering Professional and a regular participant in major SE conferences and events.

May Taing is a Chartered Professional Engineer and Systems Engineer at Leidos Australia with over 15 years of experience delivering complex engineering and defence capabilities. Specialising in Digital Engineering and Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE), May has led the implementation of enterprise modelling environments, developed innovative digital engineering frameworks, and supported the delivery of complex systems across defence, government, and industry. An OMG Certified Systems Modeling Professional, she is passionate about advancing digital engineering practices to improve collaboration, traceability, and decision-making throughout the system lifecycle.

Philipp Senn is an experienced electronics and systems engineer with over 10 years of experience in the medical, aerospace and defence domains. Philipp has held senior leadership roles managing R&D, product development, DT&E and productionisation for multiple Defence innovation contracts (DIH) and internal development projects, including Chief Engineer responsibilities for major acquisition projects.

Samuel Hilton is an Aerospace Engineer with seven years of experience working within Defence Industry, specialising in Model Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) and Systems Safety. Samuel’s PhD research into the design and development of mission critical systems, has lead to various projects with key Defence Primes to support design assurance and operational readiness.

Associate Professor Toh Yen Pang is an academic in the School of Engineering at RMIT University, Melbourne, specialising in biomedical engineering. He serves as Deputy Head of Department (Learning and Teaching), where he leads curriculum development and assurance of learning. His research sits at the intersection of systems design, advanced simulation and digital twin technology, with applications spanning healthcare and complex engineered systems. His current research interests include systems engineering and closing the capability gap between industry needs and engineering curricula.

Venkat Srivatsn Balasubramanian is an Industry Process Consultant Director at Dassault Systèmes in Perth, Western Australia, leading technical pre-sales and solution architecture for the South East Asia. Across a decade with the company he has delivered digital continuity and virtual twin solutions for mining, marine and offshore, oil and gas, automotive, and defence clients — spanning PLM adoption, MOM and ERP integration.

He previously worked at Keppel FELS in Singapore and Tata Consultancy Services. He holds an MS in Industrial and Systems Engineering from the National University of Singapore, a postgraduate qualification in AI and Machine Learning from UT Austin.

Prashanth Mysore is a seasoned digital acceleration and Industrial AI strategist with over 25 years of global experience, having worked across more than 30 countries. He brings deep expertise in Digital Transformation, Industrial AI, and Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) consulting across diverse industrial sectors including Mining & Metals, Aerospace & Defense, Transportation & Mobility, and Industrial Equipment Manufacturing.

As the Global Strategic Business Development Senior Director at Dassault Systèmes, Prashanth leads initiatives in Digital Manufacturing, Manufacturing Operations Management, and Supply Chain solutions. He is a recognized expert in Industry 4.0, Industrial IoT (IIoT), AI-powered smart factories, Generative AI for manufacturing, and future-ready supply chains, empowering people with digital skills and collaborative tools to thrive in tomorrow's manufacturing landscape.

Prashanth specializes in business consulting at the intersection of Industrial AI and sustainable operations, driving productivity, efficiency, and innovation through the 3DEXPERIENCE Platform, Dassault Systèmes' collaborative environment that connects people, processes, and data across the entire value chain. He is also a thought leader in decarbonization and ESG-driven operations, helping industrial organizations navigate CBAM compliance, green transition strategies, and the convergence of AI with operational technology (OT) to build resilient, future-ready enterprises.

Firas Mahmoud is an Industry Process Expert Senior Manager and data science specialist at Dassault Systèmes, currently overseeing the NETVIBES brand across Asia. With 10 years of experience within the company, he has held multiple roles across the Center of Excellence and Worldwide Sales organizations, contributing to strategic initiatives and driving customer success globally.

Firas began his journey at Dassault Systèmes as a Worldwide Technical Sales Engineer based in Paris, France. Over the years, he has developed deep expertise in big data, machine learning, and advanced analytics, leveraging the power of the 3DEXPERIENCE platform to support clients across a broad range of industries.

In his current role, he is responsible for developing the NETVIBES business in the Asia region, advising customers on how to harness data intelligence to accelerate digital transformation, enhance decision-making, and gain competitive advantage.

Firas is recognized for his technical acumen, strategic mindset, and ability to bridge business needs with innovative technology solutions.

An MBSE, SysML, & CATIA Magic/Cameo Champion, also a Research & Development professional, has over 15 years of experience as a Java and C software engineer, MBSE consultant, and solution architect, contributing to various corporate and government projects. His expertise spans Document Management Systems, Data Dictionaries, BPM, ERP, and Business Intelligence. Currently, he focuses on Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) and Product Lifecycle Management (PLM). Certified in OMG Systems Modeling Language (SysML), CESAMES Associate, and INCOSE CSEP, he actively publishes academic papers in AI/ML and Systems Engineering, which have been presented at IEEE, ACM, and INCOSE conferences. He has received awards from prestigious international innovation competitions such as ENVEX, ITEX, i-Inova, and NRIC.

Nirajit SYAMAL is the Education Leader for Asia Pacific South at Dassault Systèmes. He works with academia and industry partners to help develop the workforce of the future through immersive learning experiences in the engineering practices of leading industry leaders.

Nirajit’s prior experience was as an Industry Consultant across the mining, construction, manufacturing and aviation industries.  He has also supported engagements on digital transformation of manufacturing businesses, and worked on future initiative projects revolving around Industry 4.0, IoT and advanced manufacturing. 

Nirajit holds a Bachelor of Engineering Science and Master of Professional Engineering in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Western Australia (UWA), where he supported the creation of a virtual 4D environment of the UWA EZONE Student Hub - a world-class learning space for engineering and mathematical science students, industry, alumni and community.

Justain O'Flaherty is a respected Dassault Systemes Senior Industry Consultant with a wide range of experience of complex and challenging transition, and transformations using digital twin, data science technology platforms via Value Based and System Engineering delivery methodology.

Experience of leading large complex IT projects, supporting enterprise critical business functions and the roll-out of complex applications across multiple business geographies supporting global business transformations.